Looking for kitchen worktop ideas? These islands show how mixed materials can work beautifully

Are you wondering how to pair two different kitchen worktop materials, such as metal and quartz, or stone and wood? Take a look at these kitchen design ideas for inspiration and save your favourites to take to your kitchen consultation.

Protect wood from water damageIf you fancy a solid wood worktop but are worried about water damage, this is a neat solution. The chunky kitchen island here combines rustic oak with a cool stone section around the sink that allows for fuss-free washing-up.

If you’re inspired by this idea, talk to your kitchen designer to see what they suggest for you. Other options might be to just have a small stone insert behind the sink, where the taps connect to the worktop, or to have a stone or quartz draining board insert.

Incorporate a butcher’s blockCan’t decide between a rustic butcher’s block or a high-gloss worktop? This kitchen island combines the two, with a practical ‘chopping block’ work surface at one end and an expanse of glossy stone at the other.

As well as visually defining the different sections, this is also a useful design feature if you plan to use the island for food prep as well as eating. Keeping the areas distinct from one another can help with food hygiene and cleaning.

Add warmth with woodThis kitchen scheme is fresh and pared-back, with its minimal run of white units along the back wall, and the island perfectly complements this with a glossy white worktop and graphic black bar stools.

However, the addition of a slim run of wood along the length of the island brings a lovely slice of colour and texture to the space and lifts the scheme.

By using the same wood as the cupboards to the left and the shelves below, the addition of this organic material feels considered and neat, and adds an essential layer of warmth to the room.

Drop it downIf you want to sit at your island but don’t want to perch on high bar stools, this design shows how a lowered, wraparound section can provide a comfortable, table-height surface.

Lowering the dining section of an island like this can also help to keep the prep area away from the eating space, and allow the chef and the guests to have their own spaces. This is ideal if you like to have friends nearby while preparing a meal, but don’t want them taking up precious work space.

Mix metal and stoneThe use of several different materials means this high-gloss kitchen is packed with visual interest, but it doesn’t feel overpowering thanks to a careful edit. By sticking to reflective and high-shine materials throughout, the scheme knits together, even though there are several different colours at play.

The island, for example, has a mix of stainless-steel, brass and polished marble, but because all three materials have the same texture and finish, they complement each other and actually add the kind of depth a single material would struggle to provide.

Mixing so many different materials can be a fine line to tread, though, so if you’re struggling with material choice, talk to a designer to get some expert advice.

If you want to create a similar look in your own kitchen, find a design specialist to help with your scheme.

Mark out a workstationThis kitchen island is a good example of how to zone a multipurpose space through the use of different worktop materials.

If you plan to use your kitchen island as a workstation as well as for food prep or eating, tell your designer at the planning stage, and see whether there’s a corner that could be kept as a desk space, as shown here.

Using a different material is a really simple way to visually mark out the space, and a set of shelves below would be useful, too, for sweeping laptops, chargers, papers and pens out of the way when the surface is needed for other duties.

Tell us…What materials have you used for your kitchen island? Let us know in the Comments section.

penniejb, we had a 1 1/2 sink installed 24 years ago and have never worked out what the 1/2 is actually for. When the refurb actually happens, I've chosen a large single Franke sink that will take large items that won't fit in the dishwasher. No rights or wrongs - difference is the spice of life!

Absolutely! What works for one household can be useless for another. We specifically wanted a one and a half bowl sink with a mobile drainer because it works for us. If we didn't have a dishwasher or utility room sink, we may well have chosen differently.